Bottle carrier



Feb. 15, 1955 H. w. FORRER 2,702,144

BOTTLE CARRIER Filed May 15, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet l gmuu HOME}? w. rowan? 12 2 B},

A fro/FIVE VS H. W. FORRER BOTTLE CARRIER Feb. 15, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 15, 1950 JNVEN TOR. Hamil? w. FOFRER j g/Wm? M1 Mia Feb. 15, 1955 H. w. FORRER 2,702,144

BOTTLE CARRIER Filed May 15. 1950 :s Sheets-Sheet :s

INVENTOR.

HQMER W. FO/ififl? I I I United States PatentO BOTTLE CARRIER Homer W. Forrer, Atlanta, Ga., assignor to Atlanta Paper Company, a corporation of Georgia Application May 15, 1950, Serial No. 162,001

1 Claims. (Cl.220--111) This invention relates to carriers for bottles and other similar containers, and more particularly to a collapsible paper carrier of this type having a unitary construction formed from a single piece of boxboard or the like, and in which partition means are uniquely arranged so that bottles loaded in the carrier are separated completely from contact with one another.

This is a continuation-in-part of my copending applications Serial No. 35,389, now Patent No. 2,537,452, filed June 26, 1948, and Serial No. ll8,770, now Patent No. 2,646,918, filed September 30, 1949. These prior applications disclose a bottle carrier having a novel handle arrangement by which the carrier structure is rendered particularly strong and sturdy, and which allows the carrier to be formed in a symmetrical pattern so that it presents a neat, balanced appearance. Another feature of the bottle carriers disclosed in these prior applications is that the bottom wall panel is arranged to fold inwardly between the side wall panels for collapsing which conditions the bottom wall panel with an inward springing tendency even when erect that has the particularly advantageous result of disposing the carrier structure to stand alone when erected for automatic loading, and in the second of these prior applications the carrier is provided with end wall panels which completely close the ends of the carrier but in a manner which still allows the inward folding of the bottom wall panel in collapsing.

According to the present invention, a bottle carrier is provided which incorporates a handle portion having the same general arrangement as disclosed in the above prior applications, but which also incorporates a further improved arrangement of the end wall panels in association with the other partition means employed in the carrier so that the ends of the carrier are not only completely closed by the end panels but intermediate partition panels are likewise provided to extend completely to the bottom of the carrier so as to space each bottle separately in an individual compartment free from direct contact with any other bottle in the carrier, as previously mentioned. This arrangement of the end panels and intermediate partition panels makes it necessary to fold the bottom wall panel outwardly in collapsing the carrier, so that it is not possible to obtain the above noted advantage of an inwardly folding bottom wall panel with this arrangement, and the bottle carrier structure of the present invention is accordingly further provided with a locking arrangement by which it may befixed in erect position when set up to stand uprightly by ltself. for use in automatic loading operations.

These and other features of the present inventlon are described in further detail below in connection with the acompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a bottle carrier, lIl erect position, embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section of the bottle carrier shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken substantially on the line 33 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the blank used for forming the bottle carrier illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive; and

Figs. 5 to 9, inclusive, are corresponding plan vlews illustrating the successive steps by which the blank shown in Fig. 4 is progressively folded and glued to form a bot tle carrier structure as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, lncluslve.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, and more especially at first to Figs. 1 to 3, the bottle carrler of the present invention comprises generally a handle portlon and a bottle supporting portion 12. The handle portion 10 is formed by overlapping pairs of panels 14 and 16 which are secured in overlapping relation and arill) ranged to provide a hand grip as at 18, all as described more particularly in the above noted prior applications, to which reference is made for further details. 'lhe bottle supporting portion 12 comprises a medially foldable bottom wall panel 20 and opposed side wall panels 22 t'oldably associated with the bottom wall panel It), as also generally described in the above prior applications, together with opposed pairs of end panels 24 l'oldably associated with each of said side wall panels 22. and arranged in accordance with the present invention in asso ciation with medial partition panels 26 and transverse partition panels 28, as will be described more in detail presently.

The bottom wall panel 20 is rendered medially foldable by a score line as at 30 about which it may be doubled to a collapsed position, and the opposed side wall panels 22. are roloably jOll'lCd at each side or the bottom wall panel along, score lines as at 41A and 0A the told line 32 defining a glue tlap 22 carried by one or the side wall panels 2; ror securing to the lJULlOlll wan panel an. 'i he opposed pairs of end panels 2.4 are l'oluaoly oined along score lines 34 in extending relation at each end or the side wall panels 22 wltn lne extending ends or the end panels 24 or each pair roluaoly ulsposcu in ilLljilbClll. relation tor collapsing medially or me carrier.

'1 he toldaole disposition or the uu uccllL extending ends Of the pairs or end PullClS 4-4 ls pluvluoo lol by tile PIC Viously mentioned medial partition panels 40, one or which is rolduoly olneo along a score line as at J0 at the fixlfintllllg (2110 O1 CtlCll end panel A-l alltl. ullnllgcu .lll worth ly or the carrier, wlul the medial partition Pulltilh 1.0 socured 111 [106 l0 race [ClzltlOn 111 corresponding pairs. the transverse partition panels .46, also noted aoovc, are in turn roluaoly oined along score lines 00 at the inwardly extending ends or the medial partition panels 40, and are toldanly secured to the inner races or the side wall panels 21 at glue naps 4o denned by score lines 41..

it has previously been noted tllal tne end wall panels 24 are arranged, according to the present invention, so that they close the ends or the Carrier completely, and [01 this purpose the end panels 24 are lorlneo coextenslve in height with the sine wall panels LA. the medial partition panels 40 and the transverse Petl'lltlOl'l panels .40

in a height coextensive min the blue Wall panels a, and the manner in which these pariltlon panels .46 and 1.0 are arranged as jl-lSlZ described aoove results in running oolne compartments on each side or the handle plJItlUll m and ad acent each end or the carrier, with a central bottle compartment provided on each side or the flullfllC portion LU between these end comparunents. i"

For medially separating these central bottle compartments, naps m are cut rroln the transverse parlnlon panels 25 to remain unrolued ln relation to the medial partition panels 2.6 and to UXLCDCi inwardly lrorn the medial partllion panels 26 with their tree ends contiguous (compare l igs. l and 2). ln addltlon, a llap member an ls cut from the bottom wall panel 20 to remain hinged to the bottom wall panel 20 at the score line on on which it is medially t'oloaole, and thls llap member 46 is propor tioned for folding to a vertical position between the transverse partition panels 28 upon erection of the carrier. At this vertically l'olded position, provision is made tor engaging the flap member 46 and retaining it in place by means of tabs as at 48 and 50 cut from one transverse partition panel 28 of each pair to remain untoldcd in extending relation from the corresponding medial panel 26. As shown in the drawings, one of these tabs 48 may suitably be a relatively large tab providing a positioning abutment for the flap member 46 in vertical position, while the other tab 50 may be relatively smaller for flexing to allow the adjacent end of the flap member 46 to be pushed beyond it in folding to vertical position to be caught and relcasably retained in place by this small tab 50. As a result, the flap member 46 serves to lock the carrier in erect position, and in addition provides further medial partition means at the bottom of the carrier between the central bottle compartments.

The handle portion 10 is arranged in the bottle carrier structure of the present invention so that one pair of handle panels 14 is integral with one pair of the medial partition panels 26. while the second pair of handle panels 16 is integral with the other pair of medial partition panels 26. This is arranged by forming the medial partition panels 26 with upwardly extending portions as at 52 and 54 which allow the score lines 36 to be extended sufficiently for hinging the pairs of handle panels 14 or 16 to the medial partition panels 26. The upwardly extending portions 54 on certain of the medial partition panels 26 are formed differently from the extending portions 52. as shown in the drawings, to serve as glue flaps in assembling the carrier as will be pointed out further below.

The blank from which the carrier of the present invention is formed as just described above, is illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings. and as shown is arranged with the side wall panels 22 spaced for erection in opposed relation on either side of the pairs of han le panels 14 and 16 forming the handle portion 10. The side wall panels 22, as previously mentioned. are defined at each end by score lines 34 at which the end panels 24 are foldably ioined for disposition in opposed pairs with the extending ends of the end panels 24 proportioned f r contiguous arran ement midway betwe n the side wall panels 22. The blank is cut so that the pairs of handle panels 14 and 16 are not directly connected to either the side wall panels 22 or the end panels 24, but instead are joined along the score lines 36 at which the medial partition panels 26 are foldably ioined to the end panels 24, each medial artition pan l 26 being formed with an upwardly extending portion 52 or 54, as previously mentioned, providing for extension of the score lines 36 suffcientlv to allow joining of the pairs of handle panels 14 and 16 in this manner.

The medial partition panels 26 are f rther defined at their extending ends by score lines 38 at which the transverse partition panels 28 are foldably joined, these score lines 38 being interrupted at the flaps 44 and the tabs 48 and 50. which are cut from the transverse partition panels 28 to remain unfolded in relation to the medial partition panels 26. Each transverse partition panel 28 also has the glue flaps 40 foldably arranged at its extending end along score lines 42, and the glue fiaps 40 on the left hand transverse partition panels 28, as seen in Fig. 4, may be further formed with ears 56 to facilitate the folding and gluing of the blank in forming the carrier as will be explained further presently.

The blank is completed by the medially foldable bottom wall panel 20 which is formed with the flap member 46 at its medial score line 30, and is foldably joined along the score line 32 to one of the side wall panels 22 for securing to the other side wall panel 22 on which the glue fl p 22' is foldably joined for this purpose along score line 32'. The bottom wall panel 20 is further formed at its free side with an auxiliary glue flap 58 joined along a score line 60 for further facilitating the folding and gluing of the blank as will also be explained more in detail presently.

Starting with the blank laid out fiat. as shown in Fig. 4, the first step (see Fig. in the process of folding and gluing the blank to form the assembled carrier is to apply glue as indicated by stippling on the glue flaps 40 of the right hand transverse partition panels 28 and the upwardly extending portion 54 of the medial partition panel 26 of the right hand pair, and to double inwardly the left hand transverse partition panels 28 about the score lines 38.

Next (see Fig. 6) the right hand medial panels 26 and transverse partition panels 28 are folded together about the score lines 36 so that the glue coated flaps 40 on the right hand transverse partition panels 28 are secured to the inner faces of the side wall panels 22 and the glue coated medial partition portion 54 is secured to the adjacent handle panel of the pair 16, and then glue is applied to the interior face of the pair of handle panels 14 and to the left hand medial partition portion 54 and the glue flaps 40 of the left hand transverse partition panels 28, but with no glue applied to the extending cars 56.

Next (see Fig. 7), the entire left hand portion of the blank is folded over about the score lines 3-1. As this is done, the pair of handle panels 16 is held to told about the score lines 36 for shifting into overlapp ng relation with respect to the handle panels 14 at which position the panels 16 are secured by the glue coating previously applied to the panels 14. The remaining left hand portion of the blank is folded to a doubled-over position so that the left hand medial partition portion 54 that has been glue coated, as noted above, is secured to the adjacent handle panel 16, and the glue coated flaps 42) of the left hand transverse partition panels 28 are secured to the interior faces of the side walls 22, the cars 56 serving as spacing means to maintain these glue flaps 40 out of contact with the side walls 22 until these flaps 40 have reached the point at which they are to be secured and stand in substantially face to face relation with the side walls 22.

After this has been done, a further glue coating is applied to the auxiliary flap 58 attached to the bottom wall 20 (as shown in Fig. 7), and then this auxiliary glue flap 58 is doubled over for securing to the interior face of the bottom wall panel 20 (see Fig. 8). This auxiliary flap 58 is provided to build up an aggregate thickness at the bottom wall 20 when it is medially folded that will approximate suificiently the aggregate thickness of the two opposed side walls 22, and the interposed end panels 24, medial panels 26 and transverse panels 28, so that the side wall glue (lap 22 may be secured readily to the bottom wall panel 20 when the blank is doubled at the handle panels 14 and 16 to complete the assembly of the carrier as shown in Fig. 9. In order to prepare the blank for this final doubling step, the side wall glue flap 22, the adjacent medial partition panels 26 and the corresponding flaps 44, as well as a suitable portion of the adjacent handle panel 16 if desired, are coated with glue, and the bottom wall panel 20 is folded medially upon itself about the score line 30 so that it is in position for securing to the glue ilap 22 as the final doubling step is carried out.

The resulting assembled carrier is shown in Fig. 9 ready to be set up for loading with bottles. The collapsible carrier structure formed in this manner is completely unitary as has already been mentioned, and it collapsible paper carrier for bottles and other similar containers, said blank being cut and scored to define side wall panels spaced for erection in opposed relation, end panels foldably joined at each end of each of said side wall panels for disposition in opposed pairs with the extending ends of said end panels arranged contiguously midway between said side wall panels, medial partition panels foldably joined at the extending end of each of said end panels for disposition face to face in corresponding pairs inwardly between said side wall panels, said medial partitionpanels being formed at their inner edges with laterally projecting portions, transverse partition panels foldably joined at the extending end of each of said medial partition panels and adapted at their extending ends for securing in folding relation to said side wall panels, a handle portion arranged between said spaced side wall panels and foldably joined to the laterally projecting portions of both medial partition panels of at least one of said pairs for securing to the laterally projecting portions of the other pair of said medial partitions panels, and a medially fold-able bottom wall panel foldably joined to one of said side wall panels for securing to the other of said side wall panels.

2. In a collapsible paper carrier for bottles and other similar containers, of the type formed from a single piece of boxboard or the like and including a medially foldable bottom wall, opposed side walls foldably associated with said bottom wall, and spaced end walls and intermediate transverse partition panels foidably associated with each of said side walls and extending oppositely in pairs from said side walls to a medially disposed handle portion, the improvement which comprises a flap member cut from said bottom wall panel but remaining hinged to said bottom wall panel at the axis on which it is medially foldable, said flap member being proportioned for folding to a vertical partition between said transverse partition panels upon erection of said carrier for locking said carrier in erect position.

3. In a collapsible paper carrier for bottles and other similar containers, of the type formed from a single piece of boxboard or the like and including a medially foldable bottom wall, opposed side walls foldably associated with said bottom wall, and spaced end walls and intermediate transverse partition panels foldably associated with each of said side walls and extending oppositely in pairs from said side walls to a medially disposed handle portion, the improvement which comprises a flap member cut from said bottom wall panel but remaining hinged to said bottom wall panel at the axis on which it is medially foldable, said flap member being proportioned for folding to a vertical position between said transverse partition panels upon erection of said carrier for locking said carrier in erect position, and tabs cut from one transverse partition panel of each of said pairs and remaining unfolded in medially extending relation upon erection of said carrier for releasably engaging said flap member and thereby provide for retaining it in vertical position.

4. A collapsible paper carrier for bottles and other similar containers, said carrier having a unitary construction formed from a single piece of boxboard or the like and comprising a bottom wall panel having a medial fold line adapting it for doubling to a collapsed position. opposed side wall panels foldably associated with said bottom wall panel in parallel relation with respect to said medial fold line, opposed pairs of end panels extending foldably from said side wall panels, said end panels being coextensive in height with said side wall panels for completely closing the ends of said carrier in erect position and the extending ends of the end panels of each pair being foldably disposed in adjacent relation medially of said carrier for collapsing, the foldable disposition of the adjacent extending ends of said pairs of end panels being provided for by medial partition panels foldably joined at the extending end of each end panel and arranged inwardly of said carrier, the medial partition panels joined to the end panels of each pair being secured in face to face relation, transverse partition panels foldably joined at the inwardly extending ends of said medial partition panels and foldably secured oppositely in pairs to said side wall panels, said medial partition panels and transverse partition panels being likewise coextensive in height with said side wall panels, flaps cut from said transverse partition panels intermediately of their height to remain unfolded in extending relation from said medial partition panels with contiguous free ends and thereby form further medial partition means, a flap member cut from said bottom wall panel but remaining hinged to said bottom wall panel at the axis on which it is medially foldable, said flap member being proportioned for folding to a vertical position between said transverse partition members upon erection of said carrier for locking said carrier in erect position and for providing additional medial partition means at the bottom of said carrier, tabs cut from one transverse partition panel of each of said pairs and remaining unfolded in extending relation from the corresponding medial partition panels for releasably engaging said llap member when it is folded to a vertical position, and a pair of handle panels integral with one pair of said medial partition panels and a second pair of handle panels integral with the other pair of said medial partition panels, one pair of said handle panels being disposed to overlap and being secured to the other pair of handle panels and thereby forming a handle portion for said carrier.

5. A collapsible paper carrier for bottles and other similar containers, said carrier having a unitary construction formed from a single piece of boxboard or the like and comprising a medially foldable bottom wall panel, opposed side wall panels foldably associated with said bottom wall panel, opposed pairs of end panels foldably extending from said side wall panels, said end panels being coextensive in height with said side wall panels for completely closing the ends of said carrier and the extending ends of the end panels of each pair beig foldably disposed in adjacent relation medially of said carrier, the foldable disposition of the extending ends of said pairs of end panels being provided for by medial partition panels foldably joined at the extending end ol each end panel and arranged inwardly of said carrier, said medial partition panels being secured in face to face relation in corresponding pairs and having individual transverse partition panels foldably joined at their inwardly extending ends that are foldably secured oppositely in pairs to said side wall panels, said medial and transverse partition panels also being coextensive in height with said side walls and said medial partition panels being further formed with upwardly extending portions, a first pair of handle panels integral with the upwardly extending portions of one pair of said medial partitions panels, and a second pair of handle panels integral with the upwardly extending portions of the other pair of said medial partition panels, one pair of said handle panels being disposed to overlap and being secured to the other pair of handle panels and thereby forming a handle portion for said carrier.

6. A collapsible paper carrier for bottles and other similar containers, said carrier having a unitary construction formed from a single piece of boxboard or the like and comprising a medially foldable bottom wall panel, opposed side wall panels foldably associated with said bottom wall panel, opposed pairs of end panels foldably extending from said side wall panels, said end panels being coextensive in height with said side wall panels for completely closing the ends of said carrier and the extending ends of the end panels of each pair being foldably disposed in adjacent relation medially of said carrier, the foldable disposition of the extending ends of said pairs of end panels being provided for by medial partition panels foldably joined at the extending end of each end panel and arranged inwardly of said carrier, said medial partition panels being secured in face to face relation in corresponding pairs and having transverse partition panels foldably joined at their inwardly extending ends that are foldably secured oppositely in pairs to said side wall panels, a handle portion integral with at least one pair of said medial partition panels and secured to the other pair of said medial partition panels, said medial partition panels and transverse partition panels being likewise coextensive in height with said side wall panels, tabs cut from one transverse partition panel of each pair adjacent their lower edges to remain unfolded in extending relation from the corresponding medial partition panels, and a flap member cut from said bottom wall panel to remain hinged to said bottom wall panel at the axis on which it is medially foldable, said flap member being proportioned for engagement by said tabs upon folding to a vertical position, whereby said flap member serves to lock said carrier in erect position and provides further medial partition means at the bottom of said carrier.

7. A blank of boxboard or the like for forming a collapsible paper carrier for bottles and other similar containers, said blank being cut and scored to define side wall panels spaced for erection in opposed relation, end panels foldably joined at each end of each of said side wall panels for disposition in opposed pairs with the extending ends of said end panels arranged contiguously midway between said side wall panels, medial partition panels at the extending end of each of said end panels for disposition faceto face in corresponding pairs inwardly between said side wall panels, said medial partition panels being formed with laterally extending portions at the inner edges thereof, first and second pairs of handle panels arranged between said spaced end walls and foldably joined respectively to the laterally extending portions of said medial partition panels, transverse partition panels foldably joined at the extending ends of each of said medial partition panels, and a medially foldable bottom wall panel foldably joined to one of said side wall panels for securing to the other of said side wall panels.

References ti rd in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,322,396 Slevin a- June 22, 1943 2,345,746 Goodyear Apr. 4, 1944 2,395,711 Arnold Feb. 26, i946 2,458,281 Upton Jan. 4, 1949 2,508,943 Hall May 23, i950 2,525,686 Kowal Oct. 10, 1950 2,532,446 Hall Dec. 5, 1950 1.537.452 Forrer Jan. 9, 1951 2,537,615 Arneson Jan, 9, i951 2.593,]35 Gilbert Apr. 15, 1952 2,652,968 Holding Sept. 22, 1953 2,658,659 Hall Nov. 10, I 

